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Jake kicked a ball. It went a horizontal distance of 150ft and 100ft high. What is a possible equation that models the path of the ball?

A. y = -x^2 + 150x
B. y = -x^2 + 100x
C. y = -x^2 + 150x + 100
D. y = -x^2 + 100x + 150

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Final answer:

The correct equation that models the path of the ball Jake kicked is y = -x^2 + 150x + 100, which takes into account the specified maximum height and horizontal distance traveled by the ball.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the field of mathematics and specifically to the part involving projectile motion in physics. Jake kicked the ball in such a way that it traveled a horizontal distance of 150 feet and reached a maximum height of 100 feet. To model the path of the ball, we are looking for an equation of a parabola, which will have a negative coefficient for the x^2 term since the path of the ball is a downward-opening parabola. The equation must also match the given maximum height and range.

Thus, the correct equation that models the trajectory of the ball is option D: y = -x^2 + 150x + 100. This is because at the ball's maximum height (100 feet high), x would be half of the horizontal range, meaning 75 feet. Substituting 75 for x in the equation should yield 100 feet for y. Also, when the ball hits the ground (y=0), x should be 150 feet, which fits the given equation D.

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